today as when the Boy Scouts were founded in 1910. The alternate point of view, “it can’t happen to me” doesn’t work very well in the wilderness. Risk is an integral part of a wilderness expedition. Risks associated with isolation, tough physical challenges, adverse weather conditions, and lack of rapid communications are inherent in a visit to the BWCAW. At all times, exercise caution, use common sense, and consider the following tips:
CREATE A MANAGEABLE PLAN AT THE START OF THE TRIP: Accurately estimating the distance you can cover safely will curtail the temptation to take shortcuts that may increase the chances of a broken ankle during a cross country bushwhack.
ALWAYS WEAR A PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE, EVEN IF YOU CAN SWIM: Minnesota law requires that you have one wearable U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device readily accessible to each person in a canoe.
DO NOT ATTEMPT CANOE TRAVEL during a lightning storm or when there are large wind-driven waves.
NEVER STAND IN A CANOE: Keep your weight low and centered.
IF YOU SHOULD CAPSIZE: Stay with the canoe; it won’t sink. If fact, every person on the trip should be educated in proper solo and group canoe recovery and rescue. The American Canoe Association (www.americancanoe.org) offers basic safety-skills courses across the country. If you capsize your canoe, the stories that follow should be about getting ribbed and teased instead of describing a potentially life-threatening situation.
USE THE PORTAGES: Do not run rapids unless you are confident you can do it safely, and only after you have scouted them. Remember that water levels change considerably during the summer months. Rapids that may have been perfectly safe to run during your last trip in August could be a dangerous, raging torrent during your next trip in June (or vice versa). Canoeing mishaps occur every summer in the Boundary Waters. Some result in drowning. Many result in damaged canoes. Most result in spoiled trips, lost equipment, and hard feelings.
CARRY A GOOD FIRST-AID KIT AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT: See to it that every member of your group knows CPR. Be alert for hypothermia, especially when any member of your group becomes wet. Once again, a safety class from an organization like the American Red Cross is worth the time and money.
IF A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURS: Send someone for help immediately, or use a heavy smoke signal to attract a Forest Service patrol plane. If you have a cellular phone with you, use it to get help only if an accident is life threatening. (Note: don’t rely on cell phone coverage in the BWCAW and check with your service provider before even considering bringing the cell phone with you.) In your haste to send for help, keep everyone calm and remember that campsite numbers are often painted on the latrines of most campsites. Make sure the person going for help has an accurate understanding of your location and the extent of the injury so that the appropriate rescue resources can respond without delays caused by lack of information. Evacuation by plane or other motorized vehicle is approved only when there are no other options available and a person needs the immediate services of a doctor. The local county sheriff authorizes all emergency searches, rescues, and evacuations, but the Forest Service must authorize motorized entry for that search, rescue, or evacuation.
DON’T DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT TREATING: Sure, at some lakes the water looks so clear that you can see the bottom, but why take the risk? Living through a bout of intestinal distress caused by a waterborne parasite is not the kind of lifelong memory you came to the BWCAW to create. Boil or treat water before drinking. Although lake water may look pure, drinking it without first filtering, boiling, or chemically treating it may cause illness. Today’s filtering tools are rugged and easy to use. Most models are designed to address the nastiest waterborne parasites.
BEFORE SETTING OUT ON YOUR TRIP: Be sure that someone—Forest Service official, outfitter, or friend—knows your itinerary and when you expect to return. They should have instructions to contact authorities if you are overdue. The Forest Service has no way of knowing when (or if) you have exited the BWCAW.
Rules, Regulations, and Recommendations
Even the BWCAW has rules and regulations to follow. The Forest Service enforces these rules and disregarding them can lead to penalties reaching $5,000 in fines and/or six months in jail. All federal, state and local laws must be obeyed. Call the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for questions about boating and fishing regulations: (888) 646-6367 or (651) 296-6157.
Summaries follow but take time to make sure all members of your group are aware of the regulations and the consequences for not following them.
PERMITS: You must enter the BWCAW at the entry point and on the entry date shown on your permit. Expired permits cannot be used on different dates and you may not re-enter on a different date using the same permit. Permits become invalid when the trip leader leaves the wilderness.
GROUP SIZE: Nine people and four watercraft are the maximum allowed together in the wilderness. Not only must two groups of nine people each camp separately, they must also paddle separately.
DOGS: Although dogs have been called “Man’s Best Friend,” Fido may not be so popular in the BWCA. Incessant barking can ruin the experience of campers that you may not be aware are nearby. A chance encounter with wildlife can lead to serious injuries. If your dog experiences his own sense of wanderlust, chasing him down can ruin your trip. If you choose to bring your dog, he must be kept on a leash at landings and on portages.
MOTORS AND MECHINICAL ASSISTANCE: Motor-powered watercraft are permitted on designated lakes only. All other lakes or portions of lakes within the BWCAW are paddle only. Motors may not be used (or be in possession) on any paddle-only lake. No other motorized or mechanized equipment (including pontoon boats, sailboats, sailboards) are allowed. Mechanical assistance is only permitted over the following: International Boundary, Four-Mile Portage, Fall-Newton-Pipestone and Back Bay Portages into Basswood Lake, Prairie Portage, Vermilion-Trout Lake Portage. Use of any other motorized or mechanical equipment of any type is not permitted within the wilderness.
Loon spreading its wings (Spice Lake)
CAMPFIRES: Check on current fire restrictions before you leave. Potential fire danger may prohibit the use of campfires. If fires are allowed, they must be contained within the steel fire grates at designated campsites or as specifically approved on your visitor’s permit. Collect firewood away from campsites by paddling down the shore and walking into the woods where it is more abundant. Gathering wood that is easily broken by hand or cut with a small folding saw eliminates the need for an axe. Bringing wood with you from out of state is prohibited. Use a camp stove for cooking. Modern stoves are easy to use, are more efficient, and can feed a hungry group even in inclement weather.
CAMPSITES: All members of a permit group must camp together. You may camp up to 14 consecutive days on a specific site. If you are traveling on a popular route, choosing a campsite early in the day will ensure that you will have a place to stay. Camp only at Forest Service designated campsites that have steel fire grates and wilderness latrines. It is unlawful to cut live vegetation for any reason. Old camping traditions, such as using moss or boughs for a bed and digging drainage trenches around tents, tarps, or anywhere else is also not permitted.
LATRINES: If a latrine is not available at your campsite, dig a small hole 6 to 8 inches deep at least 150–200 feet or more back from the water’s edge. When finished, fill the hole and cover with needles and leaves. Do not use latrines as garbage receptacles.
LEAVE NO TRACE (LNT)
Every paddler and camper who visits the BWCA, no matter how diligent, leaves a record of that visit. Understanding the consequences of our interactions
